Stuck
by M. McBride
Summary: Sam and Jack's new girlfriend spend some quality time together, leading to changes.
1. Default Chapter

Spoilers: "Divide and Conquer," "Abyss"  
Notes: Pete does not exist )  
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and places are  
the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret Productions.  
This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks were intended. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.  
Feedback: Any feedback is much appreciated

When Lt. Colonel Sam Carter woke up that morning, she never imagined that she would be sitting in a Goa'uld prison with General Jack O'Neill's girlfriend.

Kerry Johnson was the CIA liaison to the SGC, and she was nice enough. Sam just wasn't all that keen to play "getting to know you" in a dank room, guarded by two Jaffa soldiers outside. Especially when the woman was dating a man she had feelings for.

It had amazed Sam in the first place that Kerry had made the journey. It wasn't like the SGC let untrained civilians go through the Stargate willy-nilly. But Kerry's superiors felt that it was a good idea for her to travel through with SG-1 to get a little perspective. Unsurprisingly, Jack had objected. In the end, he was overruled and SG-1 plus Kerry left for their mission on PJ3-445.

Daniel immediately took off to look at some intricate totems that resembled those made by the Tlingits of Southeast Alaska. Teal'C followed closely behind, leaving Sam alone with Kerry, the last place she wanted to be.

The first time they met was at Jack's house for a barbecue. Kerry sat on his deck, holding his hand and talking. Watching the two of them, so natural and easy with each other, was like a knife in Sam's gut. She loved him. And had for so long that she couldn't remember when it started, only that it had always seemed to be there.

She respected his decision to move on with his life but it was devastating to her. That night after the barbecue she had gone home, curled up into a little ball on her couch and cried. A dream had died for her. During her pity party, Sam tried to convince herself that anything Jack felt for her once was over.

Her thoughts came back to the present. They walked to the Native village and were greeted warmly. After introductions were made, Kerry and Sam were asked to join the locals in a ceremonial feast of a halibut-like fish, and salmonberries. Compared to a lot of the meals Sam had eaten on other planets, it wasn't half bad. Things were going well. The other shoe dropped when she began feeling lethargic. Sam glanced over at Kerry and noticed that her head was nodding and her eyes were hooded.

Sam reached for her P-90 only to find that one of the locals was now in possession of it. She watched as Kerry struggled when several men grabbed her. Her last thought before getting knocked out from behind was that Jack was going to be pissed if she got his girlfriend killed.

"Colonel Carter, are you alright?" Kerry asked.

"Yeah, I'll be alright. I'm going to have a heck of a bump in a few hours though."

"While you were unconscious, I was trying to think of a way for us to get out of here. I think I may have found one." She went on to explain that the guards had taken all of their weapons after searching them but that they had failed to take her hair clip which, with a little work could be made into a lock pick.

Great, Sam thought. Jack's girlfriend is beautiful, resourceful and available. What the hell does he need me for? The answer - absolutely nothing.

They decided to wait for nightfall to make their escape. That left them with several hours of nothing to do and Kerry felt chatty. Sam wasn't particularly in the mood.

"Who do you think is keeping us here?" Kerry asked.

"More than likely, it's Ba'al. He's the only remaining system lord who has any real power."

"Ba'al? He the one who tortured Jack, isn't he?" Kerry asked, fear in her eyes.

Sam couldn't believe that Jack had told her about that. They were obviously a lot closer than she had thought. She was devastated to think that Jack was sharing his past with this woman, that she was getting a part of him that Sam had never had and now she never would.

"Yes," she answered tightly. "Ba'al has a penchant for torturing his prisoners, which is yet another reason we need to get out of here."

They fell back in to silence for a few moments. Once again Kerry was the one to break that.

"So do you have anyone special back on Earth?"

Sam hesitated before answering. She did have someone in her heart, he just wasn't available because of Air Force regulations and this woman. "Not really," she said.

"Not really? What does that mean?"

Getting up from the bench, Sam wandered over to the cell bars, keeping her back to Kerry so she couldn't see her face.

"It's complicated. Our jobs keep us pretty busy and there are a few issues that we've never sorted out. I kept thinking that something would change but it hasn't. So I guess the real answer is no, I don't have anyone special."

"Don't let your work be an excuse, Sam," Kerry advised. "You can't cuddle up to a report at night."

"Oh, you'd be surprised," Sam said wryly.

"Maybe Jack knows someone for you," Kerry suggested.

God, this woman could give Ba'al a run for his money in the torture department and she wasn't even aware of what she was doing. Sam schooled her expression and faced Kerry. "I appreciate the thought but I'm not sure that I want my CO playing matchmaker. I can take care of my own love life."

Sam hoped that her words would put an end to Kerry's romantic line of questioning. "It's almost dark enough now, she whispered. "Get ready."

**X X X**

Back on Earth, General Jack O'Neill was debriefing Daniel and Teal'C.

"What the hell happened? This was supposed to be a straight diplomatic mission. Tell me then how exactly Carter and Kerry did not come through that gate with you?"

His heart had dropped when he saw only Teal'C and Daniel returning. Carter was more than capable of taking care of herself and Kerry but that didn't mean that he wasn't going out of his mind with worry.

"O'Neill, Daniel Jackson and I were examining ancient totems when we were attacked by several Jaffa. We were able to kill several of them and escape. We searched for Colonel Carter and Agent Johnson, and saw them being led inside a large prison. We would have been unable to overcome such a large number of soldiers, so we returned through the Stargate for reinforcements."

"Well then, reinforcements you shall have. Take SG-3, 7, 13 and 16."

Teal'C nodded his head and left the room. Daniel stayed behind.

"Are you OK with this Jack? You don't need to worry. We'll get Kerry back."

Jack didn't want to tell Daniel that his first thought hadn't been about Kerry - it had been about Sam. He was wound up, inwardly afraid that she wouldn't make it back, that he would lose her permanently.

He felt guilty that Kerry was simply an afterthought whereas Sam ...

Sam was the last person he thought about before going to sleep and the first person he thought about when he woke up. She was so much a part of him that he couldn't imagine living without her. He was tired of all of it. The regulations. Seeing her everyday and not being allowed to touch her - except when catastrophe struck. Then he was allowed to hold her, only then.

Kerry appeared in his life during a lonely time. His duties as general kept him isolated. The need for human companionship was pressing and there she was.

Kerry was beautiful and funny and smart and a good distraction from his thoughts of Sam. If he couldn't have the real thing, he might as well try to have feelings for good woman who cared about him.

"I'm fine Daniel. Now, why don't you get some rest before heading back out there at 1800 hours." Jack guided the archaeologist out of the room and headed for his office. It was going to be a long day.

TO BE CONTINUED…


	2. Getting home

Notes: Pete does not exist  
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and places are  
the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret Productions.  
This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks were intended. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.  
Feedback: Any feedback is much appreciated

Everything was going according to their plan, better in fact, because their two guards had suddenly left. Sam could hear staff weapon explosions in the distance and could only surmise that the SGC had sent in re-enforcements. All she and Kerry had to do now was get the hell out of this room. Kerry was almost done with the lock when the door to their room burst open, knocking Kerry to the ground.

A single Jaffa soldier trained his staff weapon on them. Acting on instinct, Sam spun and kicked him in the stomach. He stumbled back, giving Sam time to grab a hold of his weapon and smash him in the face. She flipped the weapon around and shot him before he could recover. She then bent down and took a shock grenade from his armor.

Sam pulled Kerry from the ground. "Come on, let's move."

As they raced toward the stargate, Sam looked back to see dozens of Jaffa running after them. She knew that the Death Gliders couldn't be far behind. Blasts from zats and staff weapons zinged past them.

"Kerry, you keep heading toward the gate. I'll try and hold them off here. I'll meet up with you as soon as I can."

"Sam, this is insane. You can't hold all of them off on your own."

"Maybe not, but you don't have a weapon and this will buy you some time. Just stay down and move fast. An SG team should be at the gate. If not, find a good hiding spot and wait." Sam moved behind a tree and took aim at the oncoming Jaffa. Kerry took one last look at Sam and made her way quickly toward the gate.

Major Feretti was the first to spot Kerry. He fired his P-90 at the few Jaffa remaining and made his way toward her. "Ms. Johnson, are you injured?" he yelled, ducking with her behind the DHD.

She shook her head.

"Where's Colonel Carter?"

"She told me to head for the stargate while she tried to hold off the Jaffa who were chasing us. She should be coming any minute," Kerry said.

"Alright, I want you to dial the gate while I lay down some cover fire. Then get your ass through. The rest of us will stay behind until we find Colonel Carter. Understand?"

Kerry crawled to the other side of the DHD while Feretti took position. She inputted the address and waited while the major entered the IDC. Then she ran with all the strength that she had left in her after the day's events.

Meanwhile, Sam made a mad dash toward the SGC teams as soon as she tossed the explosive she had taken earlier. Nearing the gate, she was pulled behind a hill by Teal'C.

"Colonel Carter, can you make it to the stargate?"

"Absolutely Teal'C. It's good to see you guys. Did Agent Johnson make it through?" Despite her jealousy of the woman's relationship with Jack, Sam had to be sure that she was OK. Jack couldn't survive the loss. If he had felt that he would rather die than lose Sam at one point, how would he feel about the death of a woman he was sharing his life _and _bed with?

"Agent Johnson entered the stargate approximately two minutes ago."

Sam's body relaxed slightly. She took Teal'C's radio and instructed all remaining SG teams to head out. She got up and started shooting at the oncoming Jaffa.

She was the last person to reach the gate. Just as she was about to step in, she heard a staff weapon discharge. She tried to move out of the way but it was too late. Sam fell through the gate into the SGC. "Close the iris!" she shouted.

Collapsing onto the ground, she looked up only to see Kerry wrapped safely in Jack's arms. Pain shot through her. I can't do this anymore, she thought, finally allowing herself to surrender to oblivion of unconsciousness.

**X X X**

The second Jack saw Sam step through the gate, he felt as if the world was right again. Without thinking, he hugged Kerry. He realized what he was doing and loosened his hold so that he could go to Sam.

He watched with horror as her knees buckled. "Carter!" he yelled and ran to her. "Get a medical team in here now!"

**X X X**

Sam awakened to the sounds of machines beeping. Her whole body ached.

"Hey there," Jack said gently, stroking the hair from her forehead. "How are you feeling?"

Sam didn't want him to touch her - not when he belonged to someone else. She shrank away from him. "I feel like I've been shot in the back with a staff weapon, sir."

"How is Kerry doing sir?"

He leaned back, a slightly uncomfortable look on his face. "She's fine. She said to tell you "thanks" for keeping her safe."

"Kerry's great, sir. She kept calm and levelheaded. I like her." Sam meant it. Even though she disliked the idea of another woman being with Jack, at least Kerry seemed to make him happy.

She shifted her weight, groaning in the process.

"Do you need me to get the doctor?" Jack asked.

Sam saw it as one way to get some space. She needed time to sort things out and having Jack hover wasn't going to help. "Yeah, I think that would be good. I'd like to know when I can go home."

Jack got up. "I'm glad that you're OK Sam. I don't know what I'd do without you," he murmured. His gaze lingered on her.

She felt momentary hope at his intimate words. Maybe…

Sam gave herself a mental shake. He was with Kerry. He was her commanding officer and last, but not least, he didn't love her. That was the most insurmountable problem. She could blow up a sun but making Jack O'Neill fall in love her was damn near impossible.

"I'll come by in a few hours to check on you. Just take it easy, will you?"

Both relief and disappointment coursed through her when he left. When he was around, her personal judgment was skewed. On the battlefield, they were perfectly in sync, but in the real world, things were a whole more complicated. She was about to simplify them.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	3. The note

The almost five-hour drive to Santa Fe was calming for Sam's nerves. However, the miles and miles of nothingness could not quite clear her mind.

Her decision to take three weeks of leave had come easily. After getting shot with the staff weapon and seeing Jack so close with another woman, she wanted, no make that needed time away from the mountain, from Colorado Springs, from him.

Arriving at Bishop's Lodge, a spa/resort located in a private valley in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo mountains, on the outskirts of New Mexico's capital city, Sam checked in and headed for her room. As soon as she spotted the large Roman bath tub, Sam started the water running. She stripped off her clothes, easing her aching body into the warm water.

Sam tried to keep her mind off of her situation but it kept creeping into her semi-conscious mind. She didn't blame him for being with another woman. She certainly hadn't made it obvious how much he meant to her. Perhaps this is just what she deserved. After all, she had known for years that she loved him, yet she had done nothing. Their mission at the SGC had been too important. Jeopardizing that for a relationship seemed rather short-sighted. She was Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter of the United States Air Force. She didn't do short-sighted. She analyzed things from every possible angle and saw the long-term effects. No good could come from her making some sort of romantic declaration to her commanding officer.

Several years had passed since she first met Jack O'Neill. Kerry Johnson had only known him a few days before she made her move. Sam envied the other woman. She would give anything to have one night in his arms without consequences. One night where he would wrap his arms around her and make her feel protected and cherished. In her mind, she could smell him, the scent that was uniquely male and Jack O'Neill. Sam could feel his arms wound loosely around her waist, drawing her near to his firm body. His voice whispering "I love you Samantha Carter," softly in her ear.

She closed her eyes and sighed. She needed to do something, but taking chances in her personal life was unfamiliar to her. Attempting to do what she dreamed of could be disastrous, or it could be the best thing she'd ever done for herself.

**X X X**

"Sam didn't tell you where she was going?" Daniel asked anxiously.

"No Daniel.. Carter is a big girl. If she wants to take off for parts unknown, then that's her business," Jack said. "All she told me is that she was going to leave town for a little bit. It's only been a week. Take deep breath. It's gonna be OK." He turned around and pretended to straighten up some paperwork, hoping to keep the archaeologist from seeing what was written all over his face.

Despite his nonchalant words, Jack was unnerved. Carter hadn't been herself since she had gotten shot. She barely even met his eyes when she requested the time off. He had wanted to take her in his arms, like he had every time before when she had that hurt look about her. Only this time, he could tell that she didn't want him anywhere near her. And Sam never took a vacation. Something was defnitely wrong.

He had a niggling suspicion that it had to do with Carter and Kerry being imprisoned together. Kerry had assured him that they just chatted a little bit and got down to the business of escaping. Nothing else. He wasn't so sure that that was all.

Jack hoped that she was really as alright as he had told Daniel she was. If he didn't hear from her in the next week, he was going to use the full resources of the U.S. government to find her. Carter was too important to lose.

**X X X **

Sam stood before the mailbox, unsure of what she was about to do. Sheets of paper shouldn't have this kind of power, particularly not the kind that could change lives. She was tempted to rip her letter up and leave things the way they had always been. Unresolved sexual tension and angst broken up by moments of joy.

She knew in her head that it was wrong to admit feelings to a man who was her superior officer and who had a girlfriend. Her heart just wasn't willing to listen to that logic any longer.

In the end, Samantha Carter did what she had to do, like always. Only this time she was doing it for herself.

**X X X **

_Dear Jack,_

_Before you get worried, I'm not writing you because of an emergency._

_With that said, I'd really like it if you would meet me here in Santa Fe. _

_It concerns my future at the SGC._

_Sam_

Jack could hardly believe his eyes. First of all, his 2IC addressed him as Jack instead of by his rank. And secondly she wanted him to leave the SGC, drive to another state and discuss her future. What in the hell was going on?

Jack impatiently threw the note on his kitchen table. Running his fingers through his hair, he picked up the other item Sam had included with her note. The brochure included detailed instructions to a fancy, schmancy resort. It wasn't the type of place he would ever consider visiting on his own since he preferred the isolated peace of his Minnesota cabin to anywhere else in the universe. For Carter though, he would go pretty much anywhere.

"Is anybody home?" Kerry poked her head around the corner. She was the last person he wanted to see right now, despite their having had plans for the evening. He had gotten so caught up with Carter's note and its possible implications that he had blocked out everything else.

"Yeah, but I haven't even showered yet. Give me a couple minutes and I'll be fresh as a daisy," he said, leaning down to kiss her on the cheek before leaving the room.

Kerry went to the refrigerator and got herself a bottle of water and sat down at the table. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a small note, teetering on the edge. She reached out and place it on top of the rest of mail. Glancing down at it, she saw Sam's name. Being a CIA agent, curiosity outweighed her guilt and she read on.

When Jack got out of the shower a few minutes later, he was facing an angry brunette.

"Jack, think we need to have a little conversation about you and Colonel Carter."

TO BE CONTINUED...


End file.
